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Wednesday, 17 December 2014

15 NGOs deregistered over terrorism funding claims

NGOs
Co-ordination Board Deputy Director Henry Ochido (left), Executive
Director Fazul Mahamed Yusuf (centre) and Juliana Akinyi, Head of
Operations Compliance and Research, brief journalists at Co-operative
House in Nairobi on December 16, 2014 when they announced that 15 NGOs
had been deregistered for allegedly financing terrorism activities.
PHOTO | RAY OCHIENG | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Posted Tuesday, December 16, 2014 | by- SAMUEL KARANJA

The government has deregistered 15 non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) for allegedly funding terrorism activities in the
country and the region, and their officials are likely to be prosecuted.

The
NGOs Co-ordination Board has also deregistered another 510 charitable
organisations for failing to file their audited reports as required by
law, frozen their accounts and acquired their assets for redistributing
to other NGOs pursuing similar activities.

Another 12
NGOs with an income of more than Sh500 million and which have failed to
file their audited reports have been given 21 days to do so or their
licenses would be revoked.

According to regulation 24
of the NGOs Co-ordination Regulations of 1992, all charitable
organisations are required to file annual reports and audited accounts
with the board.

1998 US EMBASSY BOMBING

Investigations
have revealed that four of the 15 charitable organisations possibly
funded the August 7, 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and
Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in which hundreds of people were killed.

Board
executive director Fazul Mahamed Yusuf said the accounts of the NGOs
suspected of aiding terrorism have been frozen and their assets seized.

“It
has come to the attention of the board that some NGOs have been used in
criminal activities, including as conduits of terrorism financing in
Kenya and in the Horn of Africa.

“The board has
deregistered these organisations, frozen their accounts and forwarded
information on them to relevant government security agencies for
appropriate actions,” he told reporters Tuesday at the board’s offices.

Mr
Mahamed, however, would not name the organisations aiding terror,
citing the “high sensitivity” of the information, adding that revealing
them would “interfere with investigations”.

The NGOs
have been operating mostly in the Coast and north-eastern Kenya regions,
which have both borne the brunt of terrorism attacks.

The
board has also revoked the work permits of the expatriates working for
the deregistered charitable organisations, added Mr Mahamed.

ROGUE NGOS UNEARTHED

He
said extensive investigations by both local and international
detectives helped unearth the rogue NGOs suspected of financing criminal
elements, adding that after investigations are completed, the officials
would be prosecuted.

Investigations have revealed that
once donors give money to the NGOs, these agencies in turn transfer
huge amounts to accounts where terror suspects access the money.

Donors
have also been put on notice, with the board official saying they would
also be held accountable if money they give to NGOs is used to finance
criminal activities.

“Donors must also be held
accountable and we will also require them to give us the list of the
NGOs they have funded and for what purposes,” said the executive
director.

There are more than 3,000 registered NGOs in
the country operating accounts worth billions of shillings, according to
the NGO Co-ordinating Board official.

Among the 12
NGOs put on notice for failing to comply with the law are Medecins Sans
Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), with offices in Switzerland,
France and Belgium; Technoserve Kenya; Water for Life; LVCT Health;
Adventist Development and Relief Agency International; and Artsen Zonder
Grenzen-Holland.